Back-band buckle.



Patentd May 28, I90I.

.1. T. HOLLAND. BACK BAND BUCKLE.

(Application fue@ Feb. 7, 1901.1

lllllllllllll l:

(No Model.)

@9i/Waseca TN: Nonrys Pntns o.. novo-urna.. wAsmNGTon.

llNiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES THOS. HOLLAND, OF STANTON DEPOT, TENNESSEE.

BACK-BAND BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,095, dated May 28,1901.

Application iiled February 7, 1901. Serial No. 46,365. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom zv muy concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES THos. HOLLAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stanton Depot, in the county of Haywood and State ofTennessee, have invented a new and useful Back-Band Buckle, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This `invention relates to back-band-loop supports for harness, and hasfor its object to provide a means for securely connecting the back-bandloop to the back-band in a position not only to render its operationeasy and effective, but also to prevent the presence of the loop oritsmeans of attachment from affecting the horse, and also to so constructthe attachment as to avoid undue wear upon the part of the baclrband towhich it is attached.

The invention further consists in certain novel features and details ofconstruction, as hereinafter described and shown, and specificallypointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of the device complete. Fig. 2is a disassociated perspective View of the two supportingplates. Fig.Vis a sectional View on the line a: ac of Fig. l.

This invention is intended to be applied to the depending ends of theback-bands of harness, more particularly to heavy draft or farm harness,and in the drawings, l represents asection of this back-band portion ofthe harness. This may be of any suitable material, such as leather orwebbing, but is particularly applicable to back-bands formed of thelatter material, and for the purpose ot' illustration Ihave indicatedthe invention applied to such material in the drawings. K

2 represents the trace-supporting loop of an approved form, although theinvention may be applied to any required form of loop, or any well-knownor equivalent trace-support ing element may be used in place of theparticular form illustrated, which form was patented by me November 14,1899.

3 is a flat metal plate attached, as by rivets 4, to the back-band 2 andformed with an upset portion 5 near one end to form a support for theupper member 6 of the loop 2, the upper series of rivets d being placedclose to the upset portion 5 on each side to afford the requisitesupport for the loop. The loop is thus firmly supported and held betweenthe plate and the band 2, while at the same time left free to swingbeneath the upset 5, as a hinge. The plate 3 extends below the point ofpossible contact of the band by the depending portion of the loop toserve as a means of protection ro the band from the friction of theloop. The extended plate also serves another important function indistributing the strains over a m uch larger surface of the band, and

thereby reducing the tendency of the rivets to pull through the band.The lower portion l of the band will be folded under upon itself or theportion of the band beneath the plate 3 and the end S secured to thebody of the band above the plate 3, as by rivets 9.

The end S will preferably be protected and strengthened, as by' abinding 10, through the two parts of which and the end 8 and the body ofthe band 3 the rivets 9 will be passed. This forms a verysubstantialmeans of fastening. The folded-under portion 7 thuseffectually covers the heads of the rivets d and prevents themvfromcomingA in contact with the body of the horse. This is an importantconsideration, as the folded portion 7 of the band l rests in constantcontact with the body of the horse, and any roughness of surface orprotruding metallic parts would be very objectionable.

To furnish a stiffened backing for the webbing and prevent the rivetspulling out, a supplemental plate 1l is employed, as shown, with therivets 4 passing through both the plates 3 and l1 and also through thewebbing between them. This forms a very strong support for the loop anddistributes the strains over so large an area of the webbing that nodanger exists of tearing it loose or disintegrating it when subjected tothe action of the constant motion imparted to the traces resting .in theloop by the action of the team or the strains of the load drawn l bytheum. The employment of the two plates 3 and l1 also provides that boththe rivet-heads shall be supported by the metal insteadof one set ofrivet-heads being supported entirely by the webbing orleather when nosupplemental plate is employed. The folded-under portion 7 is also` avery important feature when the two plates 3 and l1 are employed. Infact,

it is more important when the supplemental plate is employed than whenonly one plate is employed, as the plate 1l presents so much largermetallic surface to come in contact with the body of the horse.

The back-bands may be of any shape or material, and the loops 2 maylikewise be of any form or construction, as the invention is not limitedto any particular form of loop or any particular form of back-band.

In operation the trace is passed through the loop 2 and supportedthereby and exerts a constant inward pressure against the backband andcauses a constant friction against the side of the horse and if notresisted would soon Wear the back-band through. With my arrangement ofthe plates '3 and 1l, however, this wear and friction are successfullyresisted and a device produced which not only firmly supports the loop,but also prevents the presence of the loop becoming a source of weaknessor means of deterioration of the harness.

What I claim is- In a back-band-loop support, the combination of aback-band, a plate 3 having an upset portion near one end and placed onthe outside of the band, a trace-loop engaging said upset portion, asupplemental plate 11 arranged on the inner side of said band oppositethe plate 3, rivets passing through the back-band and engaging andconnecting rigidly both plates, a series of the rivets being on oppositesides of the' upset portion, the lower portion of the back-band beingupturned upon itself beneath the lower end of t-he band and securedthereto over the supplemental plate above the attachment of the latter.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES THOS; HOLLAND.

Witnesses:

E. TAYLOR, W. Il. CLAXTON.

